Despite stringent hospital guidelines for controlling the spread of bacteria, hospital-acquired infections, also known as healthcare-associated infections or “HAIs”, are commonplace. HAIs result in unnecessary suffering for patients, extended healthcare and hospital times and significant costs to healthcare systems.
A significant proportion of HAIs are caused through use of indwelling medical devices that are inserted in patients for longer than a safe time period. For example, an intravenous cannula can be inserted in a patient's vein to deliver fluids, drugs or medical instruments. However, the intravenous cannula can also act as a conduit for bacteria to enter the human body and can provide a protected environment for bacterial incubation, leading to HAIs. With approximately 1.5 billion cannulae implanted in patients globally each year, reducing the number of HAIs caused by cannulae and other medical devices, such as urethral catheters, is paramount.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.